


Dive

by Angel_made_of_scars



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe- David Adopts Max, Drowning, Implied abuse, Injury, dadvid, fear of water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-24
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-19 11:20:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11896674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_made_of_scars/pseuds/Angel_made_of_scars
Summary: Davids ore hits max while white water rafting and he flies out. After near drowning Max is startled by water. It turns out the only way for Max to overcome his fear is for David to fall in.





	Dive

**Author's Note:**

> First camp camp fic, be nice!

It was white water rafting day. Max was just thankful they took the bus up into the woods with the rafts and David didn't make them carry them. Gwen was apparently very skilled at this, as she had proudly announced. So half the camp, including Neil and Nikki, went in her raft. That left Max with David, Harrison, Nurf, Space kid, and Nerris.

As soon as they were in the rafts Max knew it would be a disaster. He had known before, but now it was even more solidified in his head. Harrison and Nerris wouldn't stop trying to cast spells on each other, Space kid got boat sick, and Nurf wanted to drown David. Not that he didn't want that too.

"David, these life vests are cardboard on the inside. Literally, they're paper fucking thin." Max spoke up.

"I'm sure nothing bad will happen Max. I've done this hundreds of times." David assured him. Max just slumped back in his seat.

It was pretty much up to David to control the whole raft. Nerris and Harrison were hitting each other, and Nurf was shaking Space kid over the side of the raft. Max was behind David, just hoping Space kid wouldn't take off his helmet to vomit on him.

Then it all went to shit. They started hitting the bumps. Max wasn't the heaviest kid, and he jumped in the air.

"David, what the fuck are you doing?" Max asked angrily.

"J-Just following Gwen. It would be more helpful if everyone were paddling." David said cheerfully. Max jumped again, and he got even angrier.

"David you're going to get us killed!" Max yelled.

"Everything is going to be fine!" David insisted, jerking his paddle.

A sharp pain connected with Max's head and he fell sideways, against the raft edge. David called his name just as they hit another bump. He flew in the air and hit the cold water. He grappled for something to hold onto and grabbed the paddle, and he felt David trying to lift it, but he was too heavy. His hands slipped and he went under.

All the cardboard life vest did was keep the rocks from puncturing his stomach. He scraped his face on one and it briefly connected that he must be upside-down. An ore hit him, and pushed off of him. He was too deep. David thought he was a rock. He opened his eyes only to be met with silt. He groaned and air came out.

He was sure he was dying, as another rock cracked against his arm. The cardboard had finally gone limp, and he felt a jab in his ribs. Then his head, God his head. It fucking hurt when the rock connected. His vision was going blurry. The air escaped his lungs, and he choked on water. He started to black out.

A hand yanked his hoodie and hair. That or a branch, but it wasn't letting go, and he was suddenly being dragged much faster. He closed his eyes as he was yanked.

The next thing he felt was air, but he couldn't breathe it. He felt like he was choking. He was choking. He blinked open his eyes, and saw David. The next thing he knew he was being slammed in the stomach, and then beat on the back. Water flew out of his mouth and he let it happen.

Spew after spew of water he coughed up, as David turned him on his side, and kept maneuvering the raft. He finally felt the water even out, and heard shouting from the other raft. They had hit land. Cold and shivering, still coughing up water, he finally blacked out.

* * *

"...ax, Max!"

The voice was distant and hazy. He tried to pay it no mind, as his head ached, and merely breathing hurt. That's when he started to catalogue his injuries. His face burned, his head ached, his chest hurt in many different ways, and his arm felt bruised, but not broken. He knew what a broken arm felt like.

"Max, answer me! Max!"

He grunted and as he did he gurgled. He coughed and felt water start to come up again, and someone move him on his side. Suddenly he was gagging, and throwing up, and it was all water, and he had never felt worse. When it was over, someone picked him up, and he curled into the warmth. 

"We're going to get you to the hospital Max, don't worry."

David. It was David talking. He must not have been out long. Camp. The hospital. The bill. His parents. He couldn't let them find out, they'd be pissed. He weakly tried to hit David, repeating the motion until it got his attention. David stopped and laid him on the ground again, probably thinking more water was going to come from somewhere.

"Don't." Max coughed.

"We have to, you could get pneumonia, or parasites from that water, your lungs and stomach need to be pumped-"

"Please." Max begged weakly. He felt tears spring to his eyes and let them fall, hoping it would persuade him.

"Please." He rasped again.

"Max..." David said, at a loss. Max didn't listen. Be blacked out again.

* * *

When he woke up, he was in a sterile bed, with machines around him. He felt sick until he realized he was in a fucking cabin. He was still at camp. He connected the dots. Something must be wrong with his ribs, he was bandaged around his chest. There was a tube connecting to his nostrils, breathing machine then. He kicked off the blanket to see his body. No tubes or holes. But his mouth tasted awful. They must have pumped him through there.

He didn't dare move, as even turning his head made the room spin. He saw David outside discussing something with emergency personnel, and then Nikki and Neil's faces peeked in the window. They both started yelling and David quickly excused himself. The personnel left and he heard sirens, absolutely killing his head.

David burst in the room, followed by Nikki and Neil. They started asking questions and Max groaned. His head hurt so bad. David shushed them and sent them away, and for once Max didn't want to complain about Davids decision.

"You... save me?" Max asked weakly.

"Yes. I also knocked you off the raft in the first place. I'm so sorry Max. B-But you didn't want a hospital, so I had them come here." David said.

"Did you... call parents?" Max struggled.

"No, I was just about to-"

"Don't!" Max shouted. His voice cracked, and David put down his phone.

"Why not?"

"Be pissed." Max coughed. David didn't correct his language.

"What would happen if I called them Max?" David asked. Max wasn't sure what pain killer they gave him, but he was suddenly in tears.

"Max?"

"Pissed I didn't drown! Pissed about the bill! Beat my ass David! T-They'll take me home!" Max screamed, sobbing from the pain in his chest and his inevitable punishment.

"I thought you wanted to go home. You keep trying to escape-"

"While they're not watching! So I can get away!" Max yelled, wheezing. David put a hand on his chest and let it rise and fall, trying to help him keep time. Slowly his panic calmed, and his breathing evened out. He didn't even try to wipe his face, moving hurt. David did it for him.

"Max, do you want to get away from your parents?" David asked.

"Yeah." Max mumbled, taking deep breaths.

"Do they..."

"Isn't that fucking clear?" Max breathed. He started to fall asleep but David shook him.

"You have to stay awake. They put you under briefly but you have a concussion, you have to stay awake." David said. Max groaned. 

"I used camp money to pay your bill. Your parents won't know." David said. Max nodded.

"I can get you out of this if you need me to Max. But you would have to be entered into foster care officially, and I can't guarantee you would be placed with me. But I would fight for you." 

"You would?" Max asked. He wasn't sure what drug they gave him but he was high as a kite and he would blame this whole conversation on it later.

"I would. You know I would. And I'll stay with you here, until you can safely move." David promised.

"Thanks David." Max said quietly.

* * *

The week they took away from camp to go to court was hectic, but Max did get taken from his parents custody, and David did get listed as his temporary foster parent, even though David promised it would be permanent. The woman said she would need to visit weekly after summer camp was over, to make sure Max was adjusting and didn't need to be moved.

When they returned to camp, everyone asked why they had left for so long. Gwen sobbed about David finally being back. Max made an excuse about his injuries needing tending to, and no one questioned it. David didn't correct him. He figured Max would tell them when and if he wanted.

It was a week later that David found Max, in the middle of the night, in his swimsuit, standing on the dock by the water. He looked scared. He just glared at the water like it was evil, as he moved closer and closer to the edge. His chest wrap had been removed, but that didn't mean his ribs weren't bruised, or that he could breathe well enough to go swimming.

"Max!" David called.

Max startled so bad that he felt himself slip. He was suddenly back in the river, holding his breath for dear life and pushing and kicking but somehow only getting deeper in his panic. He opened his eyes in time to see a figure dive under, holding his nose. The figure grabbed him and kicked to the surface, both of them sputtering.

"Max, what do you think you are doing?!" David asked.

"I don't want to be fucking afraid!" Max yelled. David wasn't sure what to say, so he paddled them to the surface, and pulled Max to sit beside him at the waters edge.

"Why are you night swimming with no lifeguard?" David asked.

"Because I can't fucking stand the water!" Max said angrily.

"I... don't understand." David said. He tried to put a hand on Max's back but he slapped it away.

"I don't want to be fucking afraid." Max said quietly.

"So you were trying to conquer your fear?" David asked.

"Yeah, and I almost had it! If you hadn't fucking scared me!" Max accused.

"Why at night?" David asked.

"So no one fucking sees me dipshit!" Max yelled.

"Max, can you swim?" David asked quietly.

"I don't know! But I can't find out if I don't fucking do it! I know HOW, you kick your legs and move your arms, but I've never fucking done it!" Max said.

"Is that why you never join our swims in the lake?" David asked. Max was silent for a moment.

"I guess. It's just a shitty lake anyway. Too much mud and algae on the bottom. We're not even sitting in sand right now, it's dirt! But..." Max stopped. David waited.

"I didn't want Nikki and Neil to see if I couldn't." Max said quietly.

David tried again to put his hand on Max's back and he didn't shrug it off this time. His hair covered his eyes, and David timidly moved it out of the way to see his eyes. They were teary.

"Let's go get you some dry clothes, and hot chocolate." David smiled.

"Yeah, ok. Can I have coffee?" Max asked.

"What about a decaf mocha?"

"Weak shit." Max sniffed, then stood up.

"Yeah, I'll take that. The mocha thing. I'm gonna go get dressed." Max said. David let him go before standing up himself. Max was a handful, but he was tearing down his walls, one by one.

* * *

"Nurf, you can't push people into the lake!" David scolded.

"I love water!" Nikki cried, splashing around.

"I cast floatation!" Nerris splashed. David held out a hand, and helped Nerris back onto the dock.

"I have to go dry my wizards hat David. This is very undignified." She spat. Nikki floated on her back, ignoring the arguement.

"I can do what I want old man!" Nurf challenged.

"Now Nurf, I'm not a very old man, and it's rude to call people that even if I was. If you would just find a nicer way to work out your feelings-"

"Eat this!" Nurf yelled, shoving David.

Max's world moved in slow motion as he saw David fall into the lake. He dropped his coffee and ignored Neil, sprinting to the dock. David wasn't coming up. He didn't even think before he did the right pose and dove in. Water flew up his nose anyway, but he ignored the memories flooding back. He opened his eyes. David.

Davids shoelace was caught on a branch deeper down. He couldn't pull his fucking foot out of that tightly ass tied boot! Max struggled to the surface and gasped in more air, before plunging back down.

Arms, legs, legs, legs, arms, lots of kicking, keep moving your damn arms. He finally reached Davids shoe and started untying it. It was triple knotted, of course. Max got the two knots done before his lungs screamed for air. The rest would untie on its own. Max grabbed Davids hand and pulled. They both rose to the surface.

They coughed for a moment before Max was practically crawling on David. He shook Davids shoulders and waited until he had stopped coughing to breathe in relief.

"Max, you saved me."

"Who fucking triple knots boots you dumb dipshit?!" Max screamed.

"Max, you're swimming." David said. Max completely blanked and looked down. Oh yeah. His legs were kicking, he was floating. He had just saved David underwater.

"Yeah, I am." He confirmed breathlessly.

"Yay swimming!" Nikki splashed.

"Nurf you bastard, you could have fucking killed David!" Max yelled.

"I thought you did that every day." Nurf said.

"Not by drowning! And not... anymore! It's funny to make someone miserable, not fucking kill them!" Max yelled.

"We'll uh, work on that logic Max." David said. Max wanted to argue, but he didn't. Instead he sort of doggy paddled to the shore and climbed out, while David dragged Nikki. He picked them both up and carried them, and Nikki flopped around.

"Fish out of water!" She yelled, before continuing to flop and choke. David finally put them down beside their tent. He crouched down on one knee to talk to them.

"Get into some dry clothes you two. Or, uh, Nikki, if you're just going to go back, put on a swimsuit." David said.

"Roger!" Nikki saluted, walking into the tent. David took his moment with Max.

"Do you really enjoy making people feel bad?"

"Yep, I'm a certified asshole." Max scowled.

"No, you're not." David said. He hugged Max, and before he could get away he started talking.

"You just like making people laugh, but you don't have to be mean to do that. We can work on better ways. Together. Oh, thank you for saving me. You really do care." David said.

"Alright! Alright, get off, get- get off you dork. Before someone sees." Max said, pushing him off. He looked at David a minute before responding.

"I'm sorry I've tried to kill you so many times. It's not fucking fun." Max said. David shook his head.

"You didn't know how to express your feelings any better. You still don't, it's alright. We'll work on it." David promised.

"Yeah, ok." Max said, kicking the dirt. He surprised David by surging forward and hugging him tightly.

"Thanks David." Max said.

"Thank you, Max." David said, tearily. Max pulled away and shed his hoodie.

"Nikki, I'm coming in!" Max yelled. Nikki pushed out past him in her bathing suit.

"Do you want to come back to the lake?" Nikki asked.

"Uh... I think me and David are gonna have a mocha instead." Max said. David smiled.

"Alright, Neil!" Nikki yelled, running off.

"Meet you at your cabin?" Max asked.

"Of course." David said. Max gave him a rare smile and David smiled back.


End file.
